


Death Wouldn't Stop Me

by clantail (ideallyqualia)



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: BBL Route, Birds, Canon Backstory, Canon Universe, Comfort, Epilogue, Family, Gen, Post-Canon, Spoilers, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 03:32:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2797982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/clantail
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakuya thought that he was done with surprises. He survived Operation Hatoful, moved on to a new school, and fell into a routine again. There shouldn't have been anything else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Death Wouldn't Stop Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beatzz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatzz/gifts).



> This story doesn't just contain spoilers for the BBL route, but its epilogue as well. 
> 
> All the characters are birds here, by the way. 
> 
> Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Enjoy!

Sakuya never told his parents the complete truth about what happened to his school. They were upset about his son being subjected to the same horrors as the common bird, and they demanded answers, but he gave them only as much information as required. They had to know _some_ sort of information, once they received news that the prestigious school was evacuated and surrounded by vengeful bipeds. 

He told them about Hiyoko being the catalyst, the dome over the school, Operation Hatoful, and the plan for humans to be informed for an attack, and he tactfully ignored the dangerous, gory details. He kept Leone's identity a secret, as well as his own. He almost told them about Shuu's deeds and past, just to spite him, but he decided to be the better bird. If he said something, then Shuu might reveal the circumstances of his birth in return. The villain remained nameless.

His parents ended up being proud of him. He couldn't reveal Leone's identity, after all, so the story turned him into the main hero, with help from Ryouta. He didn't think that they would recognize Ryouta's involvement, but they became so grateful to Ryouta that they offered to fund the medical research that might one day allow him to live in the outside world. They also hired servants to visit the abandoned school and provide Ryouta with food. They didn't regard him as highly as they did Shuu, but they told Sakuya that he was the kind of resilient, loyal subordinate that a noble bird should have. 

Their parents were informed of Yuuya's sacrifice for Sakuya as well, but they were even less concerned than they had been with Ryouta. 

"That was as useful as he could have ever been," they told him. Sakuya had been too terrified to tell them of distasteful activities, such as Yuuya hacking into computers, so he only told them about Yuuya's success in distracting the villain as he did an investigation, and his death. That was apparently "the best Yuuya could do." It was baffling, how being half-related to them made him insignificant, yet a complete stranger like Shuu or Ryouta could still be praised. Sakuya thought about that hypocrisy often.

Sakuya was sent to a new academy as soon as possible. He did his research this time, investigating school histories with a careful eye. He doubted that anything that diabolical and catastrophic could happen in another school--that would just be cliché--but he did it to be safe. 

He wondered if it was something Yuuya would have done. 

 

* * *

 

Sakuya began to frequent a café near his new school. Even after graduation, he kept up his routine and visited, almost always alone. Anghel and Okosan attended the same school, but they had other preferences for dining, and Sakuya never asked them. Talking to them at school was enough for all of them.

In the middle of one of his outings, he caught sight of a bird with the telltale white feathers of a fantail pigeon. Fantails were a rare, esteemed breed, and Sakuya knew that noble etiquette stipulated introducing yourself upon meeting one. He stood up and approached the bird's table, preparing a light speech in his mind.

The words came out in a wordless sputter when the bird turned their face to him. 

"W-what?!" 

Yuuya nodded, smiling. "What a pleasant surprise, dear brother! Salutations!" He gestured towards an empty seat with a wing. "Please, have a seat. Bumping into my darling brother like this is practically fate. I simply must hear all about you."

Sakuya shook his head, not making a move to the seat. His beak clacked open and closed a few times. "You...scum! Villain! Explain yourself! Why are you still alive?!"

Yuuya stared back at him in amusement. "Why? There's so many wonderful reasons why. Where should I begin?"

Sakuya's feathers ruffled up, and he leaned his head forward stiffly. "Are you  _mocking_ me? How childish can you be? I thought you were dead!"

A yellow figure caught his attention, and out of curiosity, Sakuya tilted his head to see a cockatiel standing next to him.

"Oh, hello again." Leone bowed and seated himself beside Yuuya. 

Sakuya gawked at him. "What? Leone?! You're here, too?"

Yuuya patted Leone's back with a wing. "It's all thanks to Leone that I can stand here before you today. He procured an antidote when I was deep within death's grip, almost snuffed out completely."

"You said you were going to recover his body!" Sakuya snapped. "He was dead!"

Leone hummed as he reached for a piece of millet. "I did not specify the status of his body. I looked into the neurotoxin after the death of the headmaster, and discovered the antidote in the infirmary, but I didn't know if I could administer it in time. Sakazaki's exposure to the toxin was pretty bad." 

"How can you two talk like this? So calmly?! Inconceivable!" He stomped his foot. "Give it back! Give me back the time and energy I spent mourning your death!"

"You mourned me? I'm flattered." Yuuya pressed his wing to his chest. "I did not think my fake death warranted such emotion." 

Sakuya snorted. "Well, I want it back!"

"Want back time? That's impossible." Yuuya shrugged and pulled his plate closer to him. "That sounds almost too childish a request for someone as reputable as yourself, Sakuya."

"It most certainly is  _not_ childish." Sakuya yanked the chair out from under the table and sat down. He had yet to order, but he felt his appetite vanishing alongside a mix of shock and mild nausea.

"I apologize, but we didn't order anything else for you to eat. Want something?"

"No." Sakuya jerked his head to the side. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Suit yourself." Yuuya began to nibble on the sandwich. 

"…" Sakuya watched them silently, seething and hunkering down in his seat. He didn't expect them to take off or do something ridiculous, but he had no idea how to respond to their presence. His initial uninhibited rush of surprise and anger was wearing off, leaving him unable to think of anything to say. He couldn't lose his head in a situation like this, though.

"So how has life treated you these past few years, Sakuya?" Yuuya asked. "Has it been miserable without me?"

He scoffed, but said nothing.

"I heard you went to school again."

"...Where did you hear that?" Sakuya muttered reluctantly.

Yuuya had a satisfied grin from that response. "I looked into it. Asked around, investigated the latest happenings from the Le Bels..."

Sakuya's head shot up. "You  _spied_ on me?!"

"Those are your words, not mine." 

"But how!? Our home has heavy security measures in place!"

"We have quite the resources at our disposal as well," Yuuya said.  

"Which is sort of wasted on simple check-ups." Leone frowned. "We doubted anything could happen to you, but the Hawk Party agents are still upset over the loss of Kawara. If they found out that you were responsible for locking him up, then you could have been attacked."

"Me? Attacked?" Sakuya pointed at himself. "That's preposterous. Only a stubborn ostrich would be single-minded enough to hold that kind of resentment. And it's a bit hypocritical to attack a bird in the name of protecting birds."

"You're talking about an entire group of birds who hate all humans. That alone is ridiculous." Yuuya pushed away his empty plate. "But nothing has happened, and Iwamine has been placed under surveillance, so I think that kind of danger has passed."

"That's…considerate of you," Sakuya said slowly. "But were you  _ever_ going to tell us that you were alive?" 

"How did Dad take my death?" he asked in return. "Pretty well, didn't he?" When Sakuya failed to say anything, Yuuya nodded. "I thought so. It would have been messy if I announced myself after all this time. Besides, my death is a convenient way to hide myself from the Hawk Party. As far as they're concerned, I'm no longer alive, so I can't interfere with anything."

"Convenience…" Sakuya mumbled. "And why wait so long to approach me? If you knew about me this whole time, then you should have said so." 

"We didn't approach you," Leone said. "You did."

"Talking to you two is mind-numbing." Sakuya's tail twitched in annoyance. "Such flimsy, obnoxious rebuttals."

"Flimsy?" Yuuya asked. 

"Yes, flimsy. If you want to hide, why are you in broad daylight?"

"There aren't any Hawk agents around. Your lack of faith wounds me, brother." 

Leone stood up. "Sakuya has a point, though. We can't stay at this café longer than we should. Let's go."

"What? That isn't what I meant…"

"You're right, as always, Sakuya." Yuuya got up as well and nudged his chair under the table.

"Where are you two heading?" 

"Someplace secret," Yuuya said, almost at the same time as Leone said, "You should come along." 

Yuuya whipped his head over and hissed, "He can't come with us!"

"Why not?" Sakuya saw them walk away, and he followed after them, leaning forward to squint at them. "What's going on?"

"We're heading home," Leone said, ignoring Yuuya's head shaking and wing waving. "We have to live somewhere."

"Where do you two live?"

"We have a temporary apartment for the time being."

Despite Yuuya's protests, Sakuya followed them all the way home. Their apartment wasn't as plain as he imagined it would be, but it was still nothing like the Le Bel mansion. They each had their own room, a television in a modest living room, and a kitchen.

"You were upset about me seeing this?" Sakuya scoffed. "It's perfectly normal."

"Normal is exactly what it is." Yuuya nodded his head and then gestured to the kitchen. "Are you hungry now?"

"I'm still not hungry." Sakuya leaned his head in the direction of his room. "May I see your room?"

" _No_." Yuuya shook his head vigorously, but he was unable to move in time to stop Sakuya from dodging around him. "I haven't cleaned yet, Sakuya!"

Sakuya was surprised to find Yuuya lagging behind him, but he wasn't considerate enough to stop. He pushed the door open, and he found an ordinary room behind it.

"There's nothing here, Yuuya." He squinted at a cluttered desk, shuffling closer. A few small bottles were lying there, next to a stack of papers and a wing brace. 

Yuuya collided into him, sending him scuffling into the bed. 

"Oh! I'm sorry, dear brother! I didn't see you there!" Yuuya bowed his head.

"You're a terrible liar." Sakuya dusted himself off with a wing flourish and righted himself again. "Why is there medication on your desk? Are you sick?"

"No. I have them there just to be prepared." He turned his head, and Sakuya could hear him mumble, "Leone, why are you just letting this happen?"

"If your brother wants to know, then he should know." 

"Know what?" Sakuya looked over to the desk. "Why do you have a wing brace?"

"That? Oh, that was from a light sprain I had a year ago."

"Sprain?" Sakuya echoed. He gulped and thought to himself for a moment, wondering why a wing injury nagged at his mind.

"I honestly think you should eat something, Sakuya." Yuuya stepped out of the room, glancing around until he saw what he was looking for. "Don't just stand around, Leone! Help me out."

"With what?"

Sakuya walked up to the desk, eyeing the brace. It was made out of the typical medical fabric, strong but soft, with an adjustable strap to account for size. It was too big for Leone, and it looked worn, frayed threads trimming the sides. 

It was a left-winged brace.

The left…wing...

"Yuuya!" he shrieked. He scrambled out of the room and darted to Yuuya's side, inspecting the injured wing. "It's from Iwamine's poisoned blade, isn't it?" He tilted his head and looked over the old wound, seeing a scar underneath the feathers.

Before Yuuya could bring himself to turn and say something, Leone said, "I couldn't administer the antidote right away, after all."

"Does it hurt?"

"Of course not," Yuuya said, shifting his wing to avoid Sakuya's eyes. "It's been years. The wing's just weaker, now."

Sakuya narrowed his eyes at Leone. "And he's still an agent, with that affliction? Isn't that inappropriate treatment?"

"I asked to stay. This is what I'm best at." Yuuya lifted his wing up. "It's not that bad anymore, anyway." 

"Doesn't it interfere with anything?" Sakuya wondered about his side, if it threw his whole balance off. "It's like Iwamine…" he said quietly.

"Ironic, I know. Now he's even worse than I am, though." Yuuya tucked his wing back. "I rarely need to use the wing brace these days. Iwamine, on the other hand, is stuck in his wheelchair."

"He…got what he deserved, I suppose." Sakuya shifted his feet, aware of how uncomfortable it was to acknowledge that the researcher was a deranged villain.  

Yuuya dipped his beak in a smile.

 

* * *

 

Sakuya didn't understood how Yuuya could stand working with Shuu. Relaying lab information to Shuu was one thing, but working with him under deliberate knowledge of something like Operation Hatoful was nauseating. 

"Iwamine's experiment seems to be completed," Sakuya told Yuuya. Despite not being given their phone numbers--for safety purposes--Sakuya still came to their apartment.  

"So Kawara's going to be released soon? That's good news, right?"

"I'm sure it is," Sakuya mumbled. He ruffled his feathers and and fidgeted with his wings. "I'm more concerned about Tosaka, though. Reattaching a brain to a body sounds much more difficult. Technology hasn't advanced that much, has it?" 

"I'd like to think that the Le Bel fortune boosted medical research past everything else." 

The three of them left to head towards the abandoned school. Ryouta hadn't seen the sun in years, so Sakuya brought along an umbrella, sunglasses, and dark clothing to shield him.

The school had become rickety and broken down with time. The original siege died once the humans realized that everyone escaped. There wasn't a way to track the students or faculty, so they relented. Thankfully, no one was tenacious enough to scour the school and find the hidden basement.

"Ryouta needs to be treated first," Iwamine told them. "The virus must be expunged from him if Hiyoko is to be removed from the jar."

There was no fuss made over the virus's contagious qualities, thanks to its poor survival outside of its host, so an ordinary vehicle provided by the Le Bels waited for them by the entrance.

Sakuya walked in first, opening the door and poking his head in. "Kawara! Tosaka!"

A flurry of feathers rose from a pigeon heap, and Ryouta craned his neck. "Sakuya?"

He nodded, proudly holding his head up. "I told you I would never go back on my word." He gestured towards the doors. "We have a ride waiting for you two. Where's Tosaka?"

Ryouta lifted his wings, revealing the jar underneath him. "Right here."

"Here, I'll take her." Sakuya stepped forward and gingerly picked up the jar. Ryouta watched him with a worried stare, but he relaxed when he noticed Sakuya's balance and care. 

"Nobles are taught to walk with proper posture," Sakuya said. "It's not a surprise that I can handle this."

Ryouta followed after him, stumbling once in a while. His wings randomly unfolded and folded, catching himself from falling numerous times.

Once they reached the car, Yuuya patted an empty seat next to him. "Why don't you sit here, Kawara?" he asked. "Sakuya's hogged you the whole walk here."

Sakuya placed Hiyoko carefully in her own seat, buckling her in. 

Ryouta looked at Hiyoko for a few minutes, but he then shivered and straightened up, glancing at Yuuya. "Aren't you dead?"

"I'm very much alive!" Yuuya tilted his head around to glance at himself. "I have feathers and everything."

"What about Nageki?" Kazuaki asked. "Was he...still there?"

Ryouta nodded. "I don't think he can leave the school, though."

"I see." Kazuaki turned to stare out the window. 

Ryouta caught sight of Shuu, and he looked with wide eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Shuu twisted his head in the air. "I assisted in the research that is responsible for your treatment." 

"Don't worry, he wasn't the principal investigator," Yuuya said. "He was needed, since he's so familiar with the Charon virus, but other researchers double checked everything." 

"We would never let him do something important and dangerous." Sakuya patted Hiyoko. "And we have a team of neurologists and neurosurgeons waiting for Tosaka."

Ryouta slumped his shoulders down, finally relaxing. "Then everything's fine?"

"Everything's going to be fine," Sakuya reassured him.

 

* * *

 

Ryouta's surgery was successful. Nageki's liver was replaced with a donor liver, and the virus was purged. The virus wasn't as stubborn as Shuu purported it to be, with its source removed and Ryouta's immune system improving with special treatments. After staying in a research hospital for a few days, he was discharged to his mother, and they both returned to their new home provided by Sakuya's parents.

Hiyoko, on the other hand, required much more time. The primary neurosurgeon decided to attempt to transplant her into an artificial body, similar in theory to Labor 9 but much more similar to a bird's body. A human one would take too much time and resources to procure. The artificial body's sensory neurons were still under development, but as long as Sakuya or Ryouta were around to keep her away from anything dangerous, then she'd be fine. 

"I wonder what she looks like," Yuuya said excitedly. "Don't you want to know?"

"I'm more concerned with her living accommodations! Where will she live now?"

"Oh, you're such a worrywart." Yuuya gave him a light, affectionate cuff to his head. 

"Don't touch me." Sakuya rubbed his head with a hiss.

"Oh? You're being sensitive and uppity now. Where was that before?"

"Buried underneath a heap of shock." Sakuya stopped to open the door to the research hospital. Ryouta was probably already inside, more thrilled than anyone else about Hiyoko.

In truth, Sakuya was annoyed now. He figured that Yuuya had never intended to use his death to hide from the Hawk Party; he was out in the open too often. The only reason he would have to pretend to be dead would be to hide from the Le Bels.

When they reached Hiyoko's room, they found Ryouta pacing in the hallway, jittery and fluffing his wings up and down. 

"Kawara, calm yourself! You're still recovering from your surgery!" Sakuya tried to hold him still, but Ryouta's feet kept walking, even if they weren't making progress. 

"What kind of bird do you think Hiyoko is?!"

"A pigeon?" Sakuya asked back. "What else?"

"A penguin," Yuuya said. "That would be interesting."

"That's not rational at all!" Sakuya gawked at him in horror. "No sane researcher would do that!"

A nurse opened the door from Hiyoko's room, and everyone in the hallway swiveled their heads.

"Hiyoko's awake now. Please don't make sudden movements or loud noises. She's still adjusting to her body."

Ryouta struggled in Sakuya's wings. 

"Don't do anything rash, Kawara. Take your time."

"I know that, just let me go."

Yuuya stepped around them and headed in first, his beak twitching in amusement. When he entered the room, though, his beak dropped.

Hiyoko's body looked nothing like Labor 9. She looked like a natural bird, albeit a tropical one. Her green feathers reminded him of Leone, and how utterly useless they were for camouflage. 

"As of today, Tosaka Hiyoko is a black-cheeked lovebird," the nurse said, reading from a clipboard. Ryouta and Sakuya both scrambled through the door in time to hear.

"She's like a parakeet!" Ryouta waved a wing. "Hiyoko! Do you remember me?" 

Hiyoko was glancing around the room, her eyes dazed and unfocused. She squinted at Ryouta. "Ryou…ta?"

Ryouta nodded eagerly. "That's my name!"

"Try not to make her jog her memory like that," the nurse snapped. "She barely knows her left wing from her right."

"Ah. Sorry, Hiyoko." Ryouta sheepishly brought his feet up to scratch his wing. "I didn't think about that."

"Hi…yoko…"

"A lovebird. How cute. Don't you think so, Sakuya?"

Sakuya narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Why a lovebird? A pigeon would have been best."

The nurse shrugged. "Smaller body?"

"Oh, come on, Sakuya, there's enough pigeons already." 

Ryouta ignored the both of them, watching as Hiyoko switched her attention to something new every few seconds, her eyes remaining a bit blank.

After a few more minutes, the nurse ushered them out, telling them that Hiyoko had to rest from too much interaction.

"Let's visit again tomorrow." Sakuya pushed Ryouta out of the room. "Otherwise, you would never want to leave."

Yuuya separated them, maneuvering himself between them and hooked his wings around them. "Isn't this nice, though? Everyone's alive, two birds are back from the dead..."

"I hope Hiyoko has all her memories," Sakuya said. "It would be a hassle if we had to teach her everything over again."

Ryouta clacked his beak in horror. "I hope she doesn't have  _all_ of them! What about when she died?!"

"He has a point…" Yuuya's wings slid back to his side. "It would be too easy for everything to be back to normal, nice and neat."

"It's getting late. Mother is probably going to start worrying." Ryouta bowed his head. "See you tomorrow!"

"See ya!" Yuuya nodded and turned, Sakuya following after him. 

"It's probably Iwamine's fault that she's a lovebird," Sakuya muttered to himself.  

"Why would you think that?"

"Revenge? Tropical birds are not suited for the cold weather here. This is the worst he can do now."

Yuuya smiled at his grumbling. Sakuya hunched his wings close to himself and continued to talk to himself.

"Everything is definitely not back to normal," Yuuya said. "It never will be."

Sakuya lifted his head and blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"You? Being cautious about Iwamine?" Yuuya laughed. "You never would have done that before." 

Sakuya stiffened. "He was in the Hawk Party! That's a harsh blow to his credibility."

"But you didn't know that before." Yuuya dipped his head down. "I'm so proud of my brother. You're growing up."

Sakuya quickened his steps. "I'm afraid of what you're going to do next."

Yuuya chased after him, although his speed was obviously not enough to catch up. "Come here, Sakuya! Give your beloved brother a hug!" 

"Stop it! Leave me alone!"

Sakuya heard a stumbling footfall, and Yuuya yelped. Sakuya turned back and was about to help him up when he noticed Yuuya giving a pathetic groan in mock pain.

"My wing, Sakuya… I'm not going to...make it…" 

"Get off the floor, Yuuya. The sidewalk is full of dirt." 

Yuuya got up and pulled Sakuya under his wings. "My brother cares about me! This is a miraculous blessing, beyond the hope of science! Brotherly love has saved me from certain death!"

"...Please let go of me."

"Fine." Yuuya released him, settling his wings back on his body. "But know this, Sakuya. I am forever in your debt."

Sakuya stared back at him with a stupefied look. "Did you forget that you even saved me?"

"That's right. I took a blade for you! That would make us even! I have such a smart brother." Yuuya patted him on the head. 

"I'm going to go home now." 

"See you tomorrow!" Yuuya waved with his healthy wing and waddled in the other direction.

Sakuya walked back home silently. Yuuya misunderstood what he said; he wasn't thinking about Shuu's attack at all. He was referring to Yuuya smashing his step-brother's egg in exchange for Sakuya.

This meant, though, that Yuuya had saved him twice. That hadn't occurred to him before. He had always thought of those two facts separately. 

He gulped at the realization that Yuuya might bring that up one day. They hadn't mentioned the egg swap ever since they had been trapped in the school, and Sakuya was afraid to even think about it near his parents. The day he ever brought it up with Yuuya would have to be a safer, more ordinary day than the one they went through under Shuu's influence. One where Sakuya didn't run away from him, or from their parents, or any uncomfortable, true acknowledgement of his heritage.

He wondered when that day would be.

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write! I hope you liked it!
> 
> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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